The invention relates to magnetic pick up devices and protective bumpers for portable appliances, such as vacuum cleaners. More particularly, the invention relates to a magnetic vacuum cleaner attachment for picking up metallic objects in rugs or carpets prior to entering the vacuum cleaner housing. The invention also relates to a protective bumper or guard to protect furniture and other objects from damage resulting from contact with the vacuum cleaner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,745, issued to Haase on Jul. 21, 1981, proposes a vacuum cleaner attachment comprising flexible housing having a series of pockets, each pocket containing a magnet where the housing that is attached to the front wall of the vacuum either by adhesive tape or screws. U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,260, issued to Hill on Nov. 17, 1981, proposes an elongated strip of flexible magnetizable material that is attached to the front face of a vacuum cleaner by either screws, adhesive tape or Velcro(copyright) and is positioned lower than the front face of the vacuum. U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,439, issued to Good on Jul. 8, 1986, proposes a magnetic attachment that is placed within the vacuum housing. U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,095, issued to Hoy, Jr. on Jul. 26, 1988, proposes a housing with magnetic strips mounted therein where the entire housing is mounted on the front of a vacuum. U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,756, issued to Korsen on Jan. 19, 1993, proposes a coated magnetic bar attached to a vacuum cleaner housing with hook and loop fastener material commonly marketed under the trademark Velcro(copyright). U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,876,762, 4,947,506 and Des. 318,938 of Foster propose a portable appliance cover including a bonnet that covers the top surface and side surface of a body section of the portable appliance and which includes an energy absorbing means. A major deficiency in the device proposed by Foster is that the bonnet covers the top of the appliance. Covering the top of the appliance makes access to the interior of the portable appliance difficult or impossible without removal of the cover.
The present invention is related to the field of portable appliances useful for picking up debris and other waste through an opening by action of partial vacuum, such as a vacuum cleaner. More specifically, the invention is concerned with an attachment for a vacuum cleaner that includes a protective guard that wraps around the front and sides of the head of a vacuum cleaner, but not necessarily the top of the head of the vacuum cleaner. Any material covering the top of the vacuum cleaner, such as a strap, is preferably secured to the attachment of the present invention and arranged on the vacuum cleaner in a manner that can be easily removed from the top of the head of the vacuum cleaner. The protective guard of the present invention additionally comprises a magnet. The present invention provides a dual mode or two way protection, which has advantages over prior art vacuum cleaner attachments. Firstly, the guard protects the vacuum cleaner and furniture, fixtures or other items from damage due to contact with the vacuum cleaner. Secondly, the magnet of the guard prevents pins, paper clips and other metal objects from entering the vacuum cleaner housing, thereby preventing damage to the interior parts of the vacuum cleaner, such as the motor. The present invention can comprise a guard having an outer covering, padding and a magnet disposed within the outer covering and means to secure the guard to a vacuum cleaner.